Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-04
A.fJCn, Va, August, 1887.
Rev. DIR. HOrnady Defends DIR.
Hawthorne.


10 tie EdH0r Of the Dispatch:
in your issue of August 25th appears
an Article written from Atlanta, headed
"Dr. Hawthorne-Some History oil
His Alleged Plagiarisms in Atlanta"
4 similar article was sent to the
Louisville Co0rier-JOWna doubtless
by the same parties, and with q similar
intent.
Dr. Hawthorne is absent on his sum
MGR vacation and without consulting
him Flake the privilege of reviewing
briefly these articles as an act of justice
to the accused. Having taken no active
part in the recent prohibition contest
think an in a condition Of mind, to
90 equal Justice to all parties.
1t is true that DIR. Hawthorne did
deliver an address in Augusta, Ga,
upon the subject Of prohibition, in
which lie used Il number of statistics
and some arguments drawn from the
work entitled "Our Country" some
times employing the exact language Of
the author and in others adapting the
facts to the purposes of his own adj
dress.
But at the beginning of his speech
he announced distinctly his indebted
ness to "a Calm and Conservative
Writer" and in the copy furnished to
the Augusta papers Tor publication
every word borrowed from "Our Coun-
try was embraced in quotation marks,
thereby complying with the demands
Of literary law and criticism.
The Augusta Chroaiclc, in COM
menting on the criticisms OF "Anxious
Inquirer, stated that Dir. Hawthorne
had given proper credit, and that the
management of the paper differed with
their correspondent as to the justice OF
the charge, or words to this effect.
"Anxious Inquirer " in his reply
SAYS DR.. Hawthorne's audience could
not hear the quotation marks, but he
should have candidly given the Doctor
credit for the announcement that much
Of the matter constituting the basis OF
his argument was borrowed from I" A
Calm and Conservative Writer upon
whose statistics he had drawn freely,
giving due credit for everything thu:
appropriated. ....
DO the laws of literary criticism
demand that a speaker should ditto
every fact and deduction taken from
the same author?
If so, then every speaker of mucl
reading could be convicted of plagla
rism, for such, as far as know, has not
been the practice. Such a namby
pamby course would interfere with tho
current of thought and impair the lie
climate effect of a powerful speech
1t is a well-known fact that tempe
rance speakers are apt to avail them
selves of statistics TO give point anC
effect to their addresses, and did they
stop TO saw, This is from Noah Web
sier," or "This is from Worcester, /
would subject the orator to the char8'
of literary pedantry Of the most ridicu
lous type.
In the use of such statistics DIR. Haw
thorne, according to the dlctum o
" Anxious Inquirer" has made himsel
amenable TO the charge of plagiarism
This is eminently practical age, anC
men who are controlled by the laws o
common cense have no time to bC
pedantic, if so inclined. The days TO
literary microscopes have passed away
and iustly-for it would be difficult fo
one to say what has not already beer
said.
cannot see why it is more offensive
TO use another's language than to EN-
ploy his thoughts. Why it is more
criminal to steal coin than to steal bul
lion. Andif any one is contemplating
making an address at an early da,
without using some other mans
thoughts, / would advise him to give
up as hopeless undertaking.
All knowledge is contained in books
and every one who knows anything
has obtained his information by con
sulting the worlds libraries, or b,
hearing learned men speak. SO goe
the first charge against Dr. Hawthorne
relegated to the narrowness from
whence it emanated.
As.to the second charge of your cor
respondent, "that in sermon
preached in Macon, Ga, DR.. Haw
thome borrowed, without credit, from
DR.. Guthrie" it is only necessary t.
say that the falsity Of the charge wa
fully shown through the Christian In
der, a Baptist paper Of this city, undel
the editorial control OF DIR. Ii. ii
Tucker.
Rev. Mr.. Riley, of Alabama, also in
vestigated this charge and thorough,
and conclusiyely established its uttel
worthlessness. Indeed. | know no one
who really needs to borrow from other
less than DR.. Hawthorne, for he Ger
tainly knows how TO speak, and witt
good English.
If the Doctor were q pigmy, instead
OF giant, We should never have hearl
OF his plagiarisms. But when he hit
something goes down, for he strikes
with an iron hand, and il is natural fol
men to cry out when they go limpins
from the field Of conflict badly worsted
SO number two OF tho charges of pla
earism must go TO join its crushed ant
bleeding elder brother.
lastly, let rs consider the third
charge, "that DIR. Hawthorne borrowed
sermon here last year largely from
Fairband."